About 180 shops have been ravaged by fire at the Racecourse market in the Kumasi Metropolis of the Ashanti region.

The fire started in one of the shops early Monday morning, March 11, 2024, and spread to other shops, burning foodstuff amounting to thousands of Ghana cedis.

Firefighters called to the scene were initially prevented by some traders from attending to the disaster.

Angry traders hurled stones and other crude weapons at the firefighters, leading to one of the firemen being injured.

Later, the firefighters were allowed access to the scene and were able to confine and control the fire around 8:00 am.

Aside from the injured firefighter, no other casualties were recorded.

According to the traders, the fire was caused by an illegal electricity connection.

However, the Fire Commander at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Fire Station, DOIII Simon Ben Boadu, said investigations have commenced into the disaster.

Meanwhile, Member of Parliament for Bantama, Mr Asenso Boakye, who visited the fire scene, condemned the illegal connection and promised to work with the necessary authorities to aid the victims.